The woman believed to be Ireland’s oldest person, who died just days before her 109th birthday, “lived life to the full” and was a “masterclass in resilience”, her funeral has heard.
Sarah Coyle, who was born in the year of the Easter Rising, died on Monday surrounded by her family.
Fr John Gilligan, who led the Requiem Mass at St Brigid’s Church in Blanchardstown in west Dublin on Friday, described her as a “lady with a great sense of fun who loved chatting”.
Fr Gilligan said Ms Coyle saw Ireland change “through many seasons”, while her advice was “don’t bear grudges and be kind to people”.
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Ms Coyle was born in Knockatomcoyle, a townland in Co Wicklow, before her family moved to Coolkenno, near Tullow. She was working as a housekeeper in Foxrock when she met her husband Tom Coyle from Cavan at a dance. They lived in Drumcondra and had four children, though two of their daughters died as newborns.
Mr Coyle died in 1968 while Ms Coyle began to lose her sight from her late 30s. She is survived by her daughter Marian, son Patrick and sister Lily, aged 103.
Ms Coyle’s granddaughter Anne-Marie said she was “selfless and would do all she could for others”. She described her grandmother as “an amazing host” while “acts of service were her love language”.
She spoke of Ms Coyle’s self-deprecating nature saying she was “never demanding, not one to hog the spotlight or be the centre of attention”.
Anne-Marie said despite the “much suffering and heartache in her life”, her grandmother “didn’t dwell on it and refused to let it define her”.
“It would have been easy for her to grow bitter and angry at the world and nobody could have blamed her, but she actively chose happiness and love repeatedly,” she said.
“I always found it a testament to her strength and resolve that, despite living in total darkness for the majority of her long life, she brought light to many. She was a masterclass in resilience.”
She added that the “world was so much brighter” for her being in it and was “the very best of nanas and the very best of women”.
Anne-Marie said she would “forever think of sunshine” when she thinks of her grandmother.
Ms Coyle’s son-in-law Anthony described her as a “role model to all of us, an inspiration and an example of how we should all live our lives”.
He said she had “all the qualities of a saint here on earth” while recalling her 100th birthday celebrations.
“She used to say: ‘I can’t believe I’m 100 years old and I’m still here. I wonder has God forgotten about me?’ And we would say: ‘Far from it, he hasn’t forgotten about you but you still have important work here on earth and he’s leaving you here for more’. She would break into her lovely smile and say: ‘I suppose he’ll call me when he needs me’.”
